Impacts of thermal source and sink on magnetoconvection in an annular geometry: A numerical analysis.

Abstract

The current work analyzes the collective effects of source-sink positional arrangements and magnetic force in a discretely heated-cooled annular domain. Single and dual thermal heaters and coolers are placed uniformly or alternatively on the inner and outer cylinders of the annular domain and is applied with a uniform magnetic force in radial or axial directions. This analysis is completely described by the vorticity-stream function-based model equations and are numerically integrated using a stable, implicit Finite Difference Technique (FDM). The positions of thermal heaters and coolers has an important role in controlling the buoyant-induced flow and related thermal characteristics. The flow as well as transport analysis are predicted through contours of stream function and temperature, while thermal transport rates have been estimated from the global Nusselt number. For the positioning of sources and sinks on the same wall, a single-eddy structure exists, while for placement of sources and sinks on opposite walls leads to bi-cellular flow structure. Further, for the case of dual source-sink arrangements, higher thermal transport is predicted from lower source rather than the source place at top location.